A sparkling Christmas to brighten up your festive celebrations

Tesco Cava Brut, Spain NV (£5.85, Tesco) This cava is by far the most economical sparkling wine around and is considered both a blessing and a curse by the winemakers in the Catalan region of Penedès where almost everything is produced. Certainly it's a blessing for those of us on a budget this festive season, as we can pick up a tasty, lime-flavored, authentically bottle-fermented bubbly like Tesco's for under £6. Not so good, apparently, for some of the best Catalan sparkling wine producers, who have chosen to bottle their wines without cava on the label, convinced that its cheap reputation is a drag on what they can (and should) charge if they want to earn a decent living. I can see their point of view, and the bubbly of Gramona and Recaredo, both part of rival Corpinnat association set up by a group of dissident high-end producers in 2015, deserves to be seen for what it is: fine sparkling wine with its own distinct Mediterranean identity.

Cave de Turckheim Cuvée Brut Crémant d'Alsace, France NV (£13.49, Waitrose) Over the past two years, the cava governing body has gone to great lengths to tighten the rules for cava, introducing new categories for its top wines based on longer minimum aging and single-vineyard sites in a bid to prevent more of its best producers to jump ship. Alta Alella is one such producer who has remained loyal to the cava brand, and their 2017 Alta Alella Cava Mirgin Blanca Gran Reserva (£22, winefreedom.co.uk) is a fine example of the dry, expressive and herbaceous cava. to his favorite. Over the years, producers of crémant sparkling wines in France have faced a similar struggle to their Catalan counterparts, always compared unfavorably to the king of bottle-fermented French sparkling wines, champagne. Recent years have seen huge improvements in the quality of crémant producers from Alsace, Burgundy, Jura and the Loire, but wines such as Turckheim's creamy and engaging Cuvée Brut remain exceptionally good value.

Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs, West Sussex, England NV (£36, wistonestate.com) Other competitively priced champagnes worth seeking out for this Christmas include a pair of two regular Southern Hemisphere producers: the racy and subtly nutty Jansz Premium Cuvée NV from Tasmania (£13.49, Waitrose) and Graham Becks Apple Pie flavored Blanc de Blancs from Robertson in Africa South (£19.99, or £17.49 as part of a mixed six, Majestic). The sparkling wine scene in England lives up to the hype, with the incisively lemony Ridgeview Bloomsbury (£22.49 until Jan 1, Waitrose); the scintillating Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs; the highly refined Simpsons Flint Fields Blanc de Noirs 2018 (£45, simpsonswine.com); and the luminous Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2018 (£59, gusbourne.com) some recent favourites. From Champagne itself, The Co-op Les Pionniers Brut NV (£19.50, The Co-op) is still the best in this region under £20; the slightly bubbling Gimonnet Cuvée Gastronome 2016 (£40, thewinesociety.com) is made to drink with Christmas entrees; and the stunningly deep, resonant Krug Grand Cuvée 170th Edition Brut (£195, Waitrose) is the one to have if someone else is paying.

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